Friday 14 December 2012

Documents: Pollard sought intel on Arab nations

Newly declassified CIA documents reveal former Israeli agent foremost sought information about Arab countries, not US.

Former Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard primarily sought information about Arab nations and not the United States, AFP, citing newly declassified CIA documents, reported Friday.

Pollard, who is serving a life sentence in a US prison for spying for Israel, told investigators he had been asked foremost for information on Arab or Pakistani nuclear programs and "Arab exotic weaponry," AFP cited the top secret CIA documents as saying.

The documents also said that Israel "did not request or receive from Pollard intelligence concerning some of the most sensitive US national security resources."

"The Israelis never expressed interest in US military activities, plans, capabilities or equipment," they said.

The documents, comprising the CIA's damage assessment of the Pollard case, were published by the National Security Archive at George Washington University, which contested an earlier refusal by the CIA to release the material.

Earlier this month, Pollard, who has spent more than 27 years in prison, was hospitalized after his health deteriorated considerably.

He is believed to have returned to Butner Federal Correction Institute over the weekend.

A letter currently is being circulated in the US House of Representatives urging President Obama to commute Jonathan Pollard's life sentence to time served.

"There is no doubt that he paid a heavy price," the letter reads, "and, from the standpoint of either punishment or deterrence, we believe he has been imprisoned long enough."

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?ID=295964&R=R1

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